Electric socket



June 9, 1936. v. VENDOPE 2,043,499

ELECTRIC SOCKET Filed April 10, 1934 be extended when the socket is pushed onto the Patented June 9, 1936- PATENT OFFICE Van L. Vendopc, Fort Worth, Tex aesignor to Economy Electric Ad Corporation, Fort Worth, lex., a corporation of Texas application April 10. 1934, Serial No. 719,822

g 6 Claims. Thislnvention relates to new and useful improvements in electric sockets.

One object of the invention is to ,provide an improved flexible socket soarranged that it may he slipped or pl-i hed onto thev threaded terminal, of anordinaryelectric lamp withoutscrewing or rotating either the lamp or the socket, whereby a quick connectipn may be made and contact assured; also whereby a less expensive socket and more simple socket may be produced.

A further object of the invention is to provide an elastic socket in which the contacts may be mounted without vulcanizing them therein.

Another object of the invention is to provide an elastic socket having its end or cap arranged to terminalof a lamp. I Still another object of the invention is to provide an elastic socket for connection to theterminal of a neon tube so arranged as to prevent electrical interference, common to high voltage. An important object of the invention is to pro-, vide a flexible socket made in the form of a cap,- whereby the terminal of a lamp may be mounted in a support and the socket slipped on the projection of said terminal.

- A construction designed to carry out the invention will be hereinafter described, together with other features of the invention.

The invention will be more readily understood from a reading of the following specification and by reference to the accompanying drawing, in which an example of the invention is shown, and wherein:

Figure 1 is a view showing a pair of electric lamps having their terminals screwed through a support and sockets constructed in accordance with the invention pushed onto said terminals, one of said sockets being shown in elevation and the other socket being shown in section.

Figure 2 is a sectional view of another form of socket before being engaged with a lamp or other terminal.

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 1 and showing sockets like Figure 2 engaged on the lamp terminals.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of another form of socket, and

Figure 5 is a sectional view of a socket for neon tube terminal.

This application is filed as a continuation in part of my co-pending application filed Oct. 14th, 1932, Serial No. 637,675, which latter application was filed as a continuation in part of an original application filed Dec. 17, 1931 Serial No. 581,642

June 13, 1933, both of which were filed in my formername Veno L. Pistocco.

In the drawing the numeral ill designates the shell or body ofa socket. This shell is preferably made in the form of a thimble and is provided with an outwardly directed annular rim or lip H, as is shown in Figure 1. The shell in this form is made of some flexible or yieldable material, such as rubber composition, or any other material suitable for the purpose. It is also preferable to form the shell of electrical non-conducting material. In the bottom of the socket I mount a metallic contact I! connected with a wire i3. A second metallic contact I4 is mounted within the shell and against the side thereof, so as to be spaced from the contact 12 and insulated therefrom. A wire l5 leads from the contact [4.

In Figure 1 I have shown ordinary electric lamps A screwed through avertical support B, so that their screw-threaded terminals C are exposed on the rear side of the support. In order to electrically connect these lamps, it is merely necessary to push or slip the flexible shells in onto theterminals C. In each socket the contact I 4 engages with the terminal C and the contact l2 engages with the end terminal D. The flexible nature of the shell causes it to remain in frictional contact with the lamp terminal, whereby it is held in place. The rim l I engages against the rear side of the support B and thus forms a seal so that the terminal of the lamp is completely covered. .The socket may be quickly slipped onto the terminal and as readily removed therefrom. This form of socket may be attached to. lamps which are mounted in a support as shown in Figure 1, or the sockets may be suspended by the wires l3 and I5 and lamps slipped thereinto.

In Figures 2 and 3 I have shown another form of socket having the same general features as are set forth in Figure l. The socket 20 is preferably made of some elastic or extensible material, such as rubber compound. In Figure 2 the socket Zll is shown before it is applied to a terminal, while in Figure 3 the socket is shown applied to a lamp terminal and extended. This socket has comparatively thick side walls and the rim l l is elimitact 23; while in the side wall of the socket, a

double flanged contact 24 is mounted. By forming the socket with holes to fit the shanks of the contacts, the flanges or heads of the latter may be pushed through said holes, and the contacts thus mounted in the socket, without vulcanizing them therein. The engagement of the lamp terminal contact D with the contact 23 is made more positive by the extension of the socket. If it is desired to make the socket more flexible, one or m e grooves 25 may be made in the side wall as shown in Figure 4.

y This form of socket lends itself nicely to connections for neon tubes as is shown in Figure 5. In order to grasp the glass tube E inwardly oi the terminal cap 01' the electrode the socket 20 is provided with an inwardly directed lip 26, otherwise'the socket is substantially the same as in Figures 2 and 3. However to guard against interfering electrical influences the inner surface oi the socket may be glazed and a shroud or jacket 21 slipped over the socket, electrode and wires. The shroud is formed of thin layers or nested sleeves of diiferent colors and qualities. The inner ends of these sleeves are stepped so that each will contact the glass tube E. As an illustration the inrier jacket (1 may be of a hard cured rubber having a highly glazed surface, while the next sleeve b may be of soft cured rubber of a contrasting color. The next outer contacting sleeve c may be similar to sleeve a, but of a contrasting color to sleeve b; while sleeve d may be like sleeve b. These elements are subject to considerable variation according to the electrical frequency and voltage.

The sockets which have been described may be characterized as push-on" sockets, because they may be quickly and easily pushed on the lamp or other terminals. The wires l3 and I5 may be soldered to the heads or flanges of the contacts l2, I4, 23 and 24 or otherwise secured thereto. However soldering assures a good connection and enables a number'of sockets to be connected in a string to the wires. It will be seen that a string of sockets may be easily and quickly pushed in the projecting terminals C as in Figures 1 and 3. This makes for economy and simplicity.

In making up an illuminated sign the letters are painted in beaver board or other support as B. Holes are bored through the lettered portions of the support (Figure 3) and the lamp terminals screwed through said holes. The sign is quickly completed by pushing the sockets III or 20 onto the lamp terminals. The sign is quickly and easily made and at a low cost. The sockets may be easily removed and used many times without injury. This socket tends itself to a general use for both indoor and outdoor purposes. No tools are required and owing to the intimate contact between the sockets and the support B the terminals are sealed and properly insulated. By making the socket so as to push on the terminal, screw threaded nipples and the like are not required in the bore. The bore is made smooth and the contacts are separated, thus the socket is held on the terminal solely by the frictional contact between its smooth bore and the terminal. It is obvious that if screw threads were employed the lamps would have to be screwed into thesockets as the latter being fastened to the wires could not be rotated without badly twisting the wires. This operation 5 would be slow and impractical because either two workmen would be required or it wouldv be difflcult to hold the socket in one hand and reach the lamp with the other hand, particularly where the lamp was in the middle of a sign five feet high.

The description which has been given recites more or less detail of a particular embodiment of the invention, which is set forth as new and useful; however, I desire it understood that the invention is not limited to such exact details of construction, because it is manifest that changes and modifications may be made, within the scope of the appended claims, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. The combination with a support having holes therein and electric lamps having their bases inserted through the holes of said support and pro- 25 jecting from the rear side of said support, of a plurality of flexible sockets having spaced metallic terminhls exposed therein and connected to a pair of electric circuit wires, said sockets being constructed to be pushed onto said pro- 30 jecting lamp bases so as to intimately engage the rear side of saidsupport and completely cover the projecting lamp bases and also whereby the terminals engage said lamp bases.

2. The combination with a support having 35 holes therein and electric lamps having their bases inserted through the holes of said support and projecting from the rear side of said support, of a plurality of rubber sockets having spaced metallic terminals exposed therein and connected to a pair of electric circuit wires, said sockets being constructed to be pushed onto said projecting lamp bases so as to intimately engage the rear side of said support and completely cover the projecting lamp bases and also whereby the terminals engage said lamp bases.

3. A detachable'socket adapted to be pushed onto and pulled oil the base of an electrical lamp including, a flexible non-metallic body having a recess therein for receiving a lamp base when said body is pushed onto said lamp base, a metallic terminal mounted in the closed end of the recess of the body and exposed therein for contact with the end of a lamp base, and a second metallic terminal of such size and so located in the side of the recess of the body as to contact with side of a lamp base when the body is pushed on such a base, the recess of the body being less in depth than the length of a lamp base, whereby said body may be grasped with one hand and quickly pushed on a lamp base and the terminals engaged with such a base or quickly pulled from such a base.

4. A plurality of sockets adapted to be pushed onto and pulled off the bases of electric lamps, each socket including a flexible non-metallic body having a recess therein for receiving a lamp base when said body is pushed onto said lamp base, a metallic terminal mounted in the closed end of the recess of the body and exposed therein for contact with the end of a lamp base, and a second metallic terminal of such size and so located in the side of the recess of the body as to contact with side of a lamp base when the body is pushed on such a base, the terminals of each socket being connected with the terminals of the other sockets 7 by electric circuit wires, the recess 01' each body being less in depth than the length or a lamp base, whereby said sockets may be grasped and quickly pushed on the lamp bases and the terminals engaged with the bases.

5. A. detachable socket adapted to be pushed onto and pulled off the base of an electrical lamp including, a. flexible non-metallic body having a. recess therein for receiving a. lamp base when said body is pushed onto said lamp base, a metallic terminal mounted in the closed end of the recess of the body and exposed therein for contact with the end oi. a lamp base, and a second metallic terminal of such size and so located in the side of the recess of the body as to contact with side of a. lamp base when the body is pushed on such a base, the recess of the body being less in depth than the length of a lamp base, whereby said body may be grasped with one hand and quickly pushed on a lamp base and the terminals engaged with such a base or quickly pulled from such a base, the wall at the closed end of the recess of the body having a portion reduced in thickness, whereby the end wall of said recess may be extended to assure contact with the terminal thereat when the socket pushed on a lamp base.

6. A detachable socket adapted to be pushed onto and pulled off the base of an electrical lamp including, a flexible non-metallic body having a recess therein for receiving a lamp base when said body is pushed onto said lamp base, a metallic terminal mounted in the closed end of the recess of the body and exposed therein for contact with the end of a lamp base, and a second metallic terminal of such size and so located in the side of the recess oi the body as to contact with side of a lamp base when the body is pushed on such a base, the body being short and its walls sufficiently thick to permit it to be grasped with one hand and quickly pushed on or pulled from a lamp base, the terminals being so located in the recess of the body as to assure contact with a 20 lamp base.

VAN L. VENDOPE. 

